The Sun of One Righteous One Rises Before Another's Sets

Another interpretation: "The LORD knows the days of the blameless" (Psalms 37:18), this is Sarah; "and their inheritance shall be forever," as it is said, "the years of the life of Sarah" and so forth (Genesis 23:1). "The sun rises and the sun sets" (Ecclesiastes 1:5): do we not know that the sun rises and the sun sets? Rather, before the Holy One, blessed be He, causes the sun of one righteous person to set, He causes the sun of his fellow righteous person to rise. On the day Rabbi Akiva died, Rabbi [Judah the Prince] was born, and they read over him, "the sun rises and the sun sets." On the day Rabbi died, Rav Ada bar Ahavah was born. On the day Rav Ada died, Rabbi Avin was born. On the day Rabbi Avin died, his son Rabbi Oshaya was born. On the day Rabbi Oshaya died, Abba Hoshaya of Tira was born. On the day Abba Hoshaya of Tira died, Rabbi Oshaya was born. Before the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Moses's sun to set, He caused Joshua's sun to rise, as it is said, "Take to yourself Joshua son of Nun" (Numbers 27:18). Before Joshua's sun set, the sun of Othniel son of Kenaz rose, as it is said, "And Othniel son of Kenaz captured it" (Joshua 15:17). Before Eli's sun set, Samuel's sun rose, as it is said, "and the lamp of the LORD had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down" (1 Samuel 3:3). Before Sarah's sun set, Rebecca's sun rose, as it is said, "Behold, Milcah also has borne children" (Genesis 22:20), and afterward, "the years of the life of Sarah." Rabbi Akiva was sitting and expounding, and the congregation was dozing off; he wished to rouse them. He said: what did Esther see that she should reign over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces? Rather, let Esther, who is the granddaughter of Sarah who lived a hundred and twenty-seven years, come and reign over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces. "And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba" (Genesis 23:2): four names were given to it, Eshkol, Mamre, Kiriath-arba, and Hebron. And why is it called Kiriath-arba [city of four]? Because four righteous men dwelt in it: Aner, Eshkol, Mamre, and Abraham; and four righteous men were circumcised there: Abraham, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre; and four matriarchs were buried there: Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah; and on account of its master, who were four, Anak and his three sons. Rabbi Azaryah said: from there Abraham our father went out and pursued the four world-ruling kings. It is one of four disgraceful places in the land of Israel. Rabbi Yitzhak says they are Dor, and Naphath-dor, and Timnath-serah, and Hebron; and the rabbis say Danah, and Kiriath-danah, and Timnath-serah, and Hebron. [The land of Hebron was assigned] first to Judah, then to Caleb, then to the priests, then to the Levites.